


You're a Nun Now

by Missy



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: Drabble, Family, Fluff, Gen, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Humor, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 05:30:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5117303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never rely on your opponents to be lazier than you are.  Or: the story of Penny's second Halloween.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're a Nun Now

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Measured](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/gifts).



_Kids, it was Penny’s second Halloween and everybody was excited to see which costume we’d pick for her. Your Uncle Marshall and your Aunt Lily thought they had it all figured out._

“Star Wars,” Marshall says, jabbing a finger in Ted and Tracy’s direction. “You picked Star Wars, right?”

“We didn’t say Star Wars,” says Ted, who’s busy trying to get mashed carrots into his daughter’s mouth.

“But it’s definitely Star Wars! It has to be – you finally have enough kids to go as Luke, Leia and Han!”

Lily enthusiastically adds, “the only reason Marshall and I keep trying for number four is so we can have someone to play Threepio.”

“That’s a super weird reason to have a baby – and no,” Tracy says, “It’s not Star Wars. Penny picked the costumes this year.”

“Why would you let a one-year old pick?” asks Barney.

“Because it’s all based around her first word,” Tracy says, shooting a fond, goopy look at Ted.

“You guys are such dorks,” Robin says.

“Robin and I planned our costumes all the way back in May, with NO help from our kid,” says Barney.

“That’s not even close to fair,” says Tracy. “Kids should have the choice of picking out whatever they want to wear, especially on Halloween!”

“Pft, she’ll wear a suit and like it,” Barney said, as Robin fondly rolled her eyes.

“There’s a simple solution to all of this,” Barney says. “We each pick a set of costumes, don’t tell anybody what they are, and show up at McLarens. Best costume gets to receive two big bags of candy from the losers, winner’s choice of kind.”

“Are you promising me M&Ms?” Marshall asks.

“Two bags of M&Ms,” replies Barney.

Marvin lets out an annoyed groan beside his father. “Why don’t we just buy lots of candy after Halloween? It’s really cheap in November.”

“Son, are you mocking the sanctity of good clean competition and Star Wars in front of me?” Marshall asks.

Marvin raises an eyebrow. “Greedo shot first.”

The argument that ensues gives Marvin plenty of time to slip his unwanted broccoli into his Aunt Robin’s handbag.

 

*** 

Ted and Tracy show up to the bar first, Penny in tow, Tracy shedding glitter with every step she takes.

“I’m starting to regret this choice,” Ted tells Tracy, picking blue flecks out of his eyebrows.

“I’m not! You make the cutest sparkle-sparkle ever!” So did Tracy, as far as Ted is concerned – all of them are covered in sparkly clothing, with sparkly face make-up in shades of pink, green and blue, and sparkly spray color in their hair..

“I can’t believe those were Penny’s first words!”

*** 

_“…Good, neither can I! My first words weren’t sparkle sparkle! Mom always said they were ‘da-da.’” Penny interjects._

_“Um…yeah. There’s a reason your mother tells the story. And it involves a lot of glitter. Remind me to get back to that one.”_

_Luke elbows his sister in the side in ‘gratitude’ for extending their stay in Memory Lane Purgatory as Ted continues the story._

*** 

“Go grab a beer, I’ll wait for everyone else.” Ted and Tracy end up splitting that beer together. With a straw. Which is how the others eventually find them.

“Did we just step into the middle of a very lame version of Lady and the Tramp?” Barney asks as he and Robin enter. Their incredibly well-tailored bandages, towering hair and makeup choices informed all onlookers that Frankenstein’s monster and his Bride have entered the room – complete with little Ellie as a mini-Frank.

“You look expensive,” Ted says.

“There’s no way we can compete with this,” Tracy whispers to Ted. 

“Don’t give up hope, maybe Lily and Marshall’s outfits will be lame.”

“THEY’RE THE KING AND QUEEN OF HALLOWEEN, TED!” Tracy cries out.

_And Marshall and Lily weren’t about to lose their crowns, kids. They spent weeks working on their costume that year, hours rehearsing their kids to speak and talk and move in just the right way. They didn’t really count on the Captain increasing Lilly’s hours out of the blue and they definitely didn’t expect Marvin to get the stomach flu a week before Lily started making the costumes. And then going through a growth spurt..._

And when they arrive even Ted and Tracy are awed by the sight of the costumes they’d picked. Marshall is a very tall ear of corn with brightly defined kernels, Lilly is a lovely head of cabbage, and the kids are stalks of celery. 

Well, all of them except for Marvin, who is dressed as a surly four year old.

“HAH! COSTUME REPEATERS! WE WIN!” Ted says. 

“WE WILL NOT ACCEPT DEFEAT!” Lily settles Marvin down and tries to grab a napkin and put it on his head. “You’re a nun now.”

“Mom, we lost….”

“YOU’RE A NUN NOW!”

*** 

_We turned the judging over to Carl, but he refused to do a tiebreaker. So that’s the lesson I’ve got for you, kids – when you want to win at Halloween, don’t count on your friends being more exhausted than you are._


End file.
